Overhead door



jan.' 19, 1943; Wye. BowsHER 2,308,585

OVERHEAD DOR Filed MayV 1l, 1942 Patented Jan. 19, 1943 NTED STATS r rice' Claims.

This invention relates to doors andinparticular it relates to doors of the overhead type suchv as used in connection withv garages and the like.

It is recognized that there are various types of overhead garage doors. However, in most of the conventional types of such doors, the amount of hardware required is considerable. This is'particularly the case in connection with doors which are spring actuated. Other types of conventional doors in which the entire panel of the door moves as a single unit require special reinforcing members for the door itself in order to provide structural stability without excess in weight.

In accordance with the practice of my invention I provide a door of the overhead type in which a simplified form of hardware is employed and which may be attached to an easily constructed door panel. Essentially, the door of my invention comprises a wall including an upper and lower panel in which the upper panel is equal to approximately 1/3 of the total height of the door. These panels are hinged together and the upper panel is hinged to a supporting memer forming part of the door easement. The panels are positioned so that they fold back upon each other, and the lower panel is provided with guide arms for controlling the path of movement of the panels. A counter-balance maintains the door in an upward and open position.

Among the objects of my invention are to provide a door of the overhead type in which eincient operation is obtained with the minimum use of hardware; to provide a door in which simplied hardware is employed; to provide a door in which the principal panels may be easily constructed of standard available materials; to provide a door in which the hardware is located on either side of the door and in which all of the principal elements of each unit of hardware are joined together prior to assembling the door, thus requiring only one locating point in attaching the hardware to the door; and, to provide a door which functions easily and efficiently and which is economical and simple to construct. These and other objects and advantages will appear more fully in the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view looking toward the back of a portion of a door forming an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side` elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan viewof the door;

Figure 4 is a detail view, in section, taken along linesI-V-I'V of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a detail view, in section, taken along linesV--V of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing and in particular totional wood-siding. The door panels i3 and I4 are so arrangedI that a horizontal parting line is formed therebetween dividing the door into any upper panel and a lower panel in which the upper. panelis equalto between 1/4 and 1/3 of the total height of the combined panels I3 and I4. ByY proportioning the door in this manner I have found that the door in-its open position constitutes a sufficiently compact unit in combination with adequate leverage to permit ease of manual operation.

Secured adjacent to the vertical frame member I5 ofthe upper panel I3is a wood strip I which, as shown in Figure 4, lies adjacent to the vertical frame memberv I I thus formingV a weather seal or door stop. At either side of the door panel I3 and at the upper end thereof is a hinge plate 2il attached by screws or bolts to the wood strip I9. The hingeplate y2i) is pivoted at 2| to a bracket 22secured to the door frame member II. The arrangement as thus far described provides an upper panelmember I3 which is swingable inwardly of the door frame and which provides with the frame a suitable weather strip door stop.

The lower door panel I4 is also provided with a wood strip 23 attached to the vertical door frame I5. This strip 23 is associated with the side of the door panel I4 and extends from the upper edge of the door panel to a point about midway of the height of the panel. The strip 23 functions as a weather strip and doorstep and in effect is a continuation of the strip I9 associated with the upper panel I3. The door panels I3 fand I4 are so arranged that the upper panel I3 and a'portion of the lower panel I4 remain on one side of the framing of the door opening while, when' in open position, the remaining portion of the lower panel extends on the opposite side of the framing to the door open ing.V Tof complete -thewood'portion ofthe assem-4 bly a wood strip 24 is secured to the vertical framing member II in overlapping position, as shown in Figure 5. This permits the wall I8 of the door panel I4 to contact with the wood strip 24 to complete he door stop and weather seal function of the remaining portion of the door panel I4.

Attached to the wood strip by screws 23 is a plate 25. The upper of this plate and the 'lower end of plate are bent to provide offset portions 26 and 2l, respectively, which in eiect constitute a pair of hinge plates pivoted together at 28 and positioned in such a manner that the hinge pivot is located to move the panels I3 and I4 slightly away from each other when the door is being moved in open position, but causing the horizontal marginal edge of the panels to lie in close abutment relationship when the door is in closed position. A recess 29 is formed in the upright member II to provide clearance for the hinge plates 26 and 2l.

In order to guide and control the movement of the door a bar 30 extends at right angles from each side of the lower panel I4. lThe bar 30 is pivotally attached to .the plate which in turn is secured to the wood strip 23. A diagonal brace 3| pivotally secured to the bar 30 and attached to the wood strip 23 through the plate 25 maintains the bar 3d in a xed position. The outer end of the bar is pivoted at 32 to an arm 33 pivotally attached to a lag bolt 34 secured to the vertical strip 24. The bar 3 and arm 33 combination serves to limit the upward movement of the door. It also serves to limit the door to a predetermined path in its upward or lowering movement. Still further, the bar 3Q and arm 33 combination functions to hold the door tightly against the door stops when the door is in closed position. By detaching the arm 33 from the lag screw 34 the lag screw may be moved inward or outward with the result that an efcient and accurate adjustment may be obtained to provide proper association of the door with the door stops.

A counter-balance is provided in order to assist in raising the door and to maintain the door in its raised position. The plate 25 at its lower end is bent back to form an extension 35 to which a cable 36 is secured. The cable 36 passes around a pulley 3l supported by a retainer 38 pivoted to the bracket 22.

The cable 36 also passes around a similar pulley and retainer unit 39 from whence the cable is attached to a counter-weight. The pulley 39 may be pivotally attached to a conventional part of the building with which the door is used, such as the plate member of a garage. I prefer to form the counter-balance weight of a wood frame 40 having sheet metal sides 4I. This permits the counter-weight to be formed to a size which will allow it to be positioned between the conventional studding 42 of a garage, thereby being out of the way. In fact, the counter-weight is in the form of a bucket which may be filled with sand 43 or other material to provide the desired weight.

Another advantage of making the counterweight as described is that it may be used as a container in which all of the hardware of the door may be enclosed for purposes of storage and shipping. A bolt 44 extends through the counter-weight, and the cable 36 is attached thereto. It is to be understood that a similar cable and set of pulleys is associated with each side of `the door, and that such cables extend to the single counter-weight.

As thus shown and described, it is believed apparent that I have provided a novel construction for doors of the overhead type, and while I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that it is susceptible of those modifications which appear within the spirit of the invention and as dened in the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a door frame defining an opening of a door comprising an upper and lower section, a bracket secured to the door frame adjacent each upper corner of the door opening, a hinge member secured to each vertical edge of the upper door section and pivotally connected with said brackets respectively, a pair of secondary hinges secured to the vertical edges of the upper and lower door sections for pivotally joining them together, each of said hinge members forming with the upper portions of each of said secondary hinges an integral unit, an arm extending substantially at right-angles from each side edge of the lower door section, and a tie arm pivotally connected to the outer end of said arm and to the door frame, whereby the swinging movement of the door sections are limited to a predetermined path.

2. The combination with a door frame defining an opening of 'a door comprising an upper and lower section, a bracket secured to the door frame adjacent each upper corner of the door opening, a hinge member secured to each vertical edge oi the upper door section and pivotally connected with said brackets respectively, a pair of secondary hinges secured to the vertical edges of the upper and lower door sections for pivotally joining them together, each of said hinge members forming with the upper portions of each of said secondary hinges an integral unit, an arm extending substantially at right-angles from each side edge of the lower door section, and rigidly attached to the respective lower door section portion of said secondary hinges, and a tie arm pivotally connected to the outer end of said arm and to the door frame, whereby the swinging movement of the door sections are limited to a predetermined path.

3. The combination with a door frame dening an opening of a door comprising an upper and lower section, a bracket secured to the door frame adjacent each upper corner of the door opening, a pulley for a counterbalance cable pivctally mounted on each of said brackets, a hinge member secured to each vertical edge of the upper door section and pivotally connected with said brackets respectively, a pair of secondary hinges secured to the vertical edges of the upper and lower door sections for pivotally joining them together, each of said hinge members forming with the upper portions of each of said secondary hinges an integral unit, an arm extending substantially at right-angles from each side edge of the lower door section, and a tie arm pivotally connected to the outer end of said arm and to the door frame, whereby the swinging movement of the door sections are limited to a predetermined path.

4. The combination with a door frame delining an opening of a door comprising an upper and lower section, a bracket secured to the door frame adjacent each upper corner of the door 'opening a' pulley for a counterbalance cable pivotally mounted on each of said brackets, a hinge member secured to each vertical edge of the upper door section and pivotally connected with said brackets respectively, a pair of secondary hinges secured to the vertical edges of the upper and lower door sections for pivotally joining them together, each of said hinge members forming with the upper portions of each of said secondary hinges an integral unit, an arm extending substantially at right-angles from each side edge of the lower door section and rigidly attached to the respective lower door section portion of said secondary hinges, and a tie arm pivotally connected to the outer end of said arm and to the door frame, whereby the swinging movement of the door sections are limited to a predetermined path,

5. The combination with a door frame defining an opening of a door comprising an upper and lower section, a bracket secured to the door frame adjacent each upper corner of the door opening, a hinge member secured to each Vertical edge of the upper door section and pivotally connected with said brackets respectively, a pair of secondary hinges secured to the vertical edges of the upper and lower door sections for.

WALDO G. BOWSHER. 

